Since I haven't seen a stock-up price on canned beans in awhile, I used up my last few cans when I made chili last week. And since BPA isn't a good thing, I've decided now's the time to try using dried beans in my cooking.
Yesterday, I made a batch of slow cooker baked beans (loosely following this recipe, except I also used brown sugar, pure maple syrup and a little whiskey). It was very easy. The process went like this:
:: Soak beans in large pot of water overnight.
:: Drain water the next morning, then add fresh water and a little salt and bring beans to boil. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
:: Drain water again, then add beans to other ingredients in crockpot and cook for 6-8 hours on low.
Perhaps not as easy as opening a can, but hopefully, a healthier and cheaper option? We'll see. I picked up a 1 lb. bag of dried navy beans (store brand) from Safeway for $1.62. That's $0.10/ounce. You can pick up Bob's Red Mill dried navy beans, which I've read are fresher and cleaner, for $0.13/ounce when you Subscribe and Save on Amazon.
If you love hummus, Pinterest will help you with a recipe, and these GMO- free Garbanzo Beans (grown near my alma mater in Washington!), are only $14.95 for a 5 lb. bag!
I'm very new to the whole dried bean thing, so I'd love to hear from my readers who've been doing this for awhile. What are your favorite recipes? Any tricks I should know? Where do you like to buy your dried beans? Does Amazon have the best prices?
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I actually often buy dried beans from the bulk section at Whole Foods. I haven't done a ton of price comparisons, but I've found they have reasonable prices. You might this cook book if you are interested in doing more with soaking dried beans http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369078069&sr=8-1&keywords=nourishing+traditions
ReplyDeleteI was thinking Whole Foods or Fred Meyer/QFC bulk bins would be a good idea. Thanks for the book recommendation!
DeleteI ditched canned beans a while ago. I make big batches of dried beans in the crockpot every so often then freeze them. When I want beans I just add them by the handful--or whatever I need--right from the freezer bag. I choose not to season mine in any way until I'm ready to use them, but it would be easy enough to season them before freezing. I usually have several varieties n hand for different dishes.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's so smart! I was wondering how I could save myself some time, since dinners aren't always so planned out here at my house. How long did you cook the beans in the crockpot, and did you soak them first?
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